Cotton plants have an indeterminate growth habit, meaning the plant can develop leaves, stems, flowers, fruit (bolls) and seed all at the same time. The branches on the cotton plant can be classified as either vegetative or fruiting branches. Vegetative branches have only one meristem and so grow long and straight, whereas fruiting branches have multiple meristems, each starting after the previous fruiting bud and as such exhibit a zig-zag growth habit. The first five main stem nodes support primarily vegetative growth and fruiting branches commence thereafter, with branches showing a ⅜ alternate phyllotaxy.